Mercer Island, WA - December 18, 2002 - Concorso Italiano, sponsored by Girard-Perregaux,
is pleased to announce the new location for the
Friday, August 15th, 2003, event. Beginning next year, Concorso Italiano will be
held on the beautiful grounds of the Black Horse Golf Course at
Monterey Bay. The Concorso's continued growth and popularity made it necessary
for the event to relocate to a site that would accommodate its
projected growth, allowing the event to continue to unfold and add exciting new
features.
Event organizers Frank and Janet Mandarano anticipated the need for a larger
site two years ago. Although the 2002 Concorso was a resounding
success, the Mandaranos saw that it had reached capacity at the traditional
Quail Lodge Resort site in Carmel Valley, where the event
has been held for the past 17 years.
Moving the Concorso in 2003 proved timely, as the Quail Lodge Resort made the
decision to close the property for a $12 million remodel of its
Clubhouse and hotel rooms during the slower economic times.
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the Concorso's new location is the
elimination of any traffic delay in accessing and departing the event.
The drive from central Monterey to the new venue takes only five minutes. There
are four highway lanes leading in and out of the new
Concorso site, to and from Highway 1 - north and south, effectively eliminating
the hour or more delay participants could expect in the
past.
The Black Horse facility has incredible panoramic views from high atop the
Monterey Bay peninsula from nearly everywhere on the property. The
golf course layout allows for significantly expanded exhibitor displays, as well
as an extended Corral area. For example, the new Ferrari area
will accommodate 1,000 cars compared to the 350 Ferraris that could be parked on
the former site. Additionally, nearly all of the display areas
are visible from anywhere on the Green and the popular "automobilia" vendors and
stand-alone canopies will also benefit from expanded space.
In short, the future growth of Concorso Italiano is now guaranteed. The
organizers are enthusiastic about the relocation, although they will
miss their good friends at the Quail Lodge. "We couldn't have found a
better-suited site, or a nicer group of people to work with than the
folks at Black Horse," say Frank and Janet Mandarano.
When Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, a dedicated car collector and regular golfer
at Black Horse, was asked what he thought of the move, his
reaction was "I think it's spectacular!"
This year's special features will be officially announced in January 2003.
Photographs of the new site can be found at
BLACK HORSE SITE
For additional information, please contact Frank Mandarano, Chairman, at
425-688-1903 or by e-mail
at ci@concorso.com